Back to School: School children in uniforms heading for school after the end of the 10-day-long closure of schools called by Nepal Educational Republican Forum, Monday, May 28 07. nepalnews.com/rh

Back to School: School children in uniforms heading for school after the end of the 10-day-long closure of schools called by Nepal Educational Republican Forum, Monday, May 28 07. nepalnews.com/rh
Private and public schools around the country reopened Monday after the agitating Nepal Educational Republican Forum announced to stop its indefinite shutdown strike.

Over 7.8 million students of 35000 schools were affected the due to the strike called by the Forum since May 17. The agitating teachers, who have been demanding equal pay and other benefits to teachers of private schools at par with teachers of government schools, have said other protest programmes would, however, continue.

Meanwhile, the representatives of Forum stayed away from much anticipated talks with the Education Ministry officials in the presence of Minister of State Mohan Singh Rathore on Sunday evening.

Forum members reportedly decided not to sit for talks at its meeting held Sunday afternoon claiming that there was no conducive environment. No new date for the talks has been set.

The Forum, however, decided to allow schools to open saying they received assurance from eight party leaders about fulfilling their demands. The meeting between representatives of the Forum and Maoists’ student wing reached the decision to allow the schools to resume classes.

Furthermore, the Forum has warned to resume its strike after one month (from June 27) if their demands are not met by then.

Earlier, on Sunday, Minister of State Rathore is said to have waited for the representatives of Forum the whole day for the talks to end the ten-day-long strike in education.

Protesting the police intervention in their sit-in on Friday, the Forum – with active backing by pro-Maoist students and teachers – had imposed valley bandh on Sunday, which was withdrawn after 5 pm.